Against the Grain
by EtchedInDiamond
Summary: Before Katniss and Peeta blazed their way and inspired the hearts of millions, before the Capitol was finally brought to its knees, a man and his apprentice defied the odds, and the hope that strikes a fire decades later is kindled.


**AN: Howdy. My first Hunger Games fanfic, so sorry if it's a little weird. Correct me if I have any mistakes. It's short, I know, but it's only a prologue. Enjoy! **

It was called Flo's Stop & Drink back in the day.

The quaint wooden edifice draped with neon lights and chrome sheets had been built in the days before the Breaking, constructed with the last vestige of ambition and dreams humanity could offer. The fires didn't burn it, the quakes didn't break it. Years passed, and the little building in the woods still remained, the assistant droids and their synthetic memories crumbling away along with the bones of their masters. Not even the chaos of the Dark Days brought it down.

When the dust settled, and the blood was wiped away with the silk handkerchief of the Capitol, Flo's Stop & Drink (or simply, Flo's) sat there in the woods, all alone.

It was when war-weary veterans stumbled their way into the clearing during their voluntary trek through District 9; Flo's finally found another purpose.

/XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX\

"Dark nights," the bartender said incredulously, pouring the black coffee into the mug in front of him. "Don't you look exhausted today, Xander."

The gray-bearded man sighed, taking the mug gratefully and bringing it to his lips. "If I had a penny…"

The bar was relatively empty that morning, the echo of a festive night slowly dying out. The event, of course, required their participation, and no one would risk giving away the location of their secret haven by not attending. He finished downing his drink, exhaling in a loud burst of pleasure.

"Thank God for the day I found this place, Thom," he remarked, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his Capitol suit jacket.

"Thank God for you, my little sheep in wolves' clothing," Thom the bartender replied, winking. "I swear, the dirt you get…"

"Dirt?" the other snorted. "Dirt's all you can find up there, Thom." He leaned in, a dark look in his somber green eyes. "It's what lies below the dirt that's ugly."

The taller, thicker-chested man grunted in assent, busily wiping a glass cup to hide the chill that crawled up his spine. They were both silent for a moment, naught but the chirping of morning birds filling the room.

"Why'd you come here, Xander?" Thom finally asked, a hint of reluctance hanging on his voice.

The man with the tired eyes looked up. "I always come."

"I mean now. Today." The bartender kept on looking to the side.

"Be like your father and look a man in the eye, Thom."

Dark brown met green.

"I came because I'm tired of it all, boy," he said, his voice lacking the weariness from moments before. "I'm here because I just won't have this anymore."

Thom sniffed, setting the glass cup under the counter and leaning forward. "What do you mean?"

The doors burst open. A crowd of townspeople walked in, chatting up a frenzy. Xander arched an eyebrow and leaned to the side. Sure enough, a whole line of Niners were entering the clearing and approaching the little bar. Thom took on a warm smile and waved the people in. Xander couldn't resist noticing the furtive glances his friend kept on making into the crowd, as if searching for someone.

"C'mon in, folks," he exclaimed. "Coffee's warm and the deer are smokin'!"

"Thom," a young man called out, his face pale and his frail body covered in a dense tunic and straw sandals. The usual attire for the district. "They got Annathea."

Thom went white. His fingers began to tremble, and he would've toppled over like a sycamore if Xander and others came around to support him. Tears began to flow from the big man's wide eyes.

"I-I thought," he wept. "I thought s-she would be…"

"They lowered the age to twelve," a woman with hair the color of grain explained through clenched teeth.

An anguished cry escaped from Thom's lips, and the townspeople gathered around him. Xander pulled away from the bunch, his heartbeat slowing as he escaped the closely-packed mass of citizens. A memory from the past threatened to resurface, but he pushed it down. He wasn't there anymore. He was in District Nine. Not that hellhole they called an arena. He was alive. He was…

Xander fell to the ground and wept.

/XXXXXXXXXXXXX\

Xander dropped the cigarette as he saw the defeated form of Thom approach him. He ground the heel of his expensive shoe into the dirt, crushing the smoking stub. He sensed the bartender sit beside him on the boulder.

"Trust me, you don't get nights in the Capitol like you get nights out here," said Xander, his eyes connecting the shiny dots in the beautiful expanse of illuminated dark. "Especially in District 9."

"What were you going to tell me?" croaked Thom. Xander glanced at him. The bear of a man seemed diminutive, his head bent and shoulders hunched. The slim white shirt he wore was stained with grease, oil, beer, coffee, and…tears.

Xander pushed him off the rock.

Thom yelped, sliding into the dirt, arms flailing. Xander allowed himself a small chuckle. "Ain't nothing beat a grown man falling on his ass."

"Hey!" Thom cried. He half-heartedly shoved Xander. "What was that for?"

"For being a sissy."

A vein popped on Thom's forehead. "Do you know what just happe-?"

"Sure I do. Your little sister got nabbed by the big hairs and you were too scared to even show your face."

Thom's fists clenched. "How dare you-?"

Xander eyed him. "You're a coward, Thom. You know what else? You're half the man your father was-"

Thom roared and threw a punch. Xander moved before the fist got within an inch of his face. There was a gray blur before Thom's eyes, and before he knew it, he was on the ground, green pupils staring intensely from above.

"The first thing to understanding your enemy is to understand yourself, Thom," Xander said quietly, his elbow pressed against the other man's chest. "Your father told that to me."

He released the bartender. Thom stood up, his large body shaking but his face resolute. Xander appraised him with a nod. "Quick learner, you."

"What were you going to tell me?" Thom asked, sitting back down on the rock, staring dimly at the line of trees bordering the clearing.

"Things need to change, Thom. For the better."

Thom snorted. "What are we to do about it? Go against the grain and fight? You know the cycle of things more than any of us, Xander. The Capitol stands above all."

The middle-aged man smiled slightly, lighting another cigarette and bringing it close to his lips. He leaned back and puffed out a curl of smoke. "That's where you're wrong, kid. I've been there. The Capitol. They're just as broken as us. All they got are masks and stupid clothes. We're all trying to break free of something."

"What if the chains are too strong?" said Thom. "What if we just aren't strong enough, and we'll have to do these disgusting games forever and ever?"

Those green eyes pierced into Thom's soul, and the shiver returned.

"There's always a key to a lock, my boy," Xander finally said. "You just have to know where to find it."

Thom exhaled, crossing his arms. He had never looked so tired. Not even on late nights after a Giving Day feast. "Where do you suppose we find this key, Xander my friend?"

Xander smiled. "We make one."

**AN: I really hope you liked it. Next chapter will be longer, trust me! Please, R&R! I live off of them! If you do, I'll give you chocolate truffles . **


End file.
